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Blue Earth

The Blue Earth routine was created as a very special project initiated by JAG in July of 2017. His idea was to enlist Nia teachers from all over the globe to collaborate via electronic media on a brand new routine. Using mostly Facebook and Dropbox, JAG, in Seattle, worked together with about a dozen teachers from as nearby as Portland, OR and as far away as New Zealand. Together they compiled a playlist and shared choreography ideas over video until, after several months, they co-created a wonderful routine.

The focus of the routine is on The Base and the intent is to bring Stability to our movements by touching the Earth. The routine begins with a strong Feldenkrais energy and then moves into a sultry jazzy Tai Chi feeling. The third song features Graham style Modern Dance and Nia FreeDance while the fourth is strongly rooted in Aikido. The fifth song captures a sparkly Jazz feeling, while the sixth has a very powerful Tae Kwon Do attitude. The seventh song has a lovely Duncan Dance technique flair to it. The eighth song is a great opportunity to practice the Alexander technique and the final song has a relaxing Yoga flavor.

Students are saying that they love the routine and really appreciate all of the opportunities to settle into stability through focusing on the Base: the Lower Extremities. And while the focus on Stability offers an opportunity to self-heal, there is also great opportunity for a good work-out. This routine leaves students with an open, expansive feeling.

Some of the musical artists featured in the routine are Vibrasphere, Sacred Earth, The Spy from Cairo, and dimmSummer.

The main signature move of this routine is the Heel Lead. It is used in many different ways to track stability as we take steps. And a non-impact changing of feet in a Cat Stance teaches us how to quickly replace the foot underneath our body so we never lose stability.

Learning this routine taught me some new movements, such as placing the back of the hand on top of the forehead during the Turn/Return (much more complicated than it sounds) and the quick switching of the feet that we call the Tennessee Walker.

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